Another group of students who have been frequenting Professor Canteen for the last three to four years, especially during their semester exams, said that they fancy the place because for them the various spices added by Fazal in the preparation of his dishes to enhance their aroma and taste, are simply irresistible. They also appreciate the fact that Professor Canteen has always served them freshly prepared meals.

The business was first started 13 to 14 years ago in a makeshift hotel but within a year they had to rent a permanent place to be able to cater to their growing clientele in an appropriate manner.

According to them, they had some trouble initially, as the staff of the Sales Tax Department used to harass them for bribes, in order to permit them to continue to operate in the area. They said that in the early days they could not even afford to pay tax for propping up a billboard as a result of which they had to pull it down from atop the hotel.

The hotel opens daily at 11.30 a.m. and usually winds up its business around 12.00 a.m. but permanent customers especially students visiting at closing time are somehow gracefully accommodated, added a very satisfied student.

(By M. Zeeshan Azmat, The News-19, 07/06/2007)

Nurses and the mullah in Lahore

The Jinnah Hospital administration and School of Nursing decided Tuesday to make their nurses attend Islamic classes that will keep them “pure and clean”, and help develop in them a sense of “love and care” for patients. But if the nurses thought this was coming free they were mistaken. A sum of Rs 300 will be deducted from the salaries of the nurses to pay the man of God. The administration is convinced that this price for the achievement of spirituality is a just price.

Nursing is tough profession. It is tough because it goes against the cleric-dominated tenet that woman should not been seen in places where men roam around. Unfortunately, men are poor nurses and hospitals can’t do without female nurses. But nurses are poorly paid and are in the profession because of economic compulsion. The cruel irony in the latest case is that some unthinking administrator is ready to deliver the poor creatures into the hands of the very entity that damns them. The administrator is a very ordinary male who erroneously wants to tackle problems of discipline through religiosity. He should be seriously advised against it.

(Daily Times-A6, 07/06/2007)

Nadra to share data of births with UCs

KARACHI, June 7: The city government has agreed in principle to allow the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to collect the registration data of births in the city, it has reliably been learnt. At present, the birth registration is being done at the union council level. Now Nadra will train the union council staff to keep the data regarding births in such a way that it is also fed into the Nadra database. There is no fee for the registration; however, the birth certificate (if required) will be issued for Rs50.

Nadra has been sharing the data on birth registrations with the union councils throughout the country, except for Karachi where the city nazim was reported to have been against the idea.

Sources told Dawn that the city nazim had been advised by his legal team that birth certificates fell within the jurisdiction of the union councils.

However the City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, changed his mind after he held a meeting with a Nadra team a few days back. He was shown the agreements signed between Nadra and nazims of other districts, including the Lahore city district government, after which he, in principle, agreed to sign the agreement in a “couple of weeks.”

Responding to Dawn queries, the city nazim said that a new and modern system to register information, including birth registration, would be launched with assistance from Nadra within a week or ten days. He said an announcement in this regard would be made soon.

Answering the question as to why it had not been done in the city earlier, he said that every area had its own dynamics and worked according to its priorities. He said that Nadra had approached the city government a couple of months ago and in the next 10 days the registration programme would start in the city.

The sources said when the City Naib Nazim, Nasreen Jalil, visited Nadra recently, she was also informed about the issue. She asked the Nadra staff to send a proposal to this effect so that it could be discussed in the City Council.

Ms Jalil is the convener of the City Council.

Talking to Dawn, the naib nazim confirmed that she had met the Nadra chairman a few days back and the issue had come up. She said she liked the idea and had asked Nadra to send a proposal to her. She said it would be discussed in the City Council and as the issue pertained to the union councils and the City Council’s approval would be sought.

She said that currently the registration system in the UCs was computerised, but it was not linked up with the Nadra database. But after the agreement with Nadra, a system would be developed so that the registration of births could be streamlined.